February 16, 2011 —By Abdul Taylor 53rd Annual Grammy Awards: Music’s Biggest Night? by Abdul Taylor – February 14, 2011 The Grammy Awards are filled with fashion blunders, award mishaps and performances that are bound to show up in the news the following day. On February 13, 2011 music’s biggest night left spectators, including myself, unimpressed. The show began with an Aretha Franklin Tribute – Yolanda Adams, Martina McBride, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and Florence Welch (from Florence and the Machine). Martina McBride was iffy and Florence was like a complete outsider when it came to singing solos of Aretha’s songs. When all five women sung together Florence’s voice stuck out like a pimple on prom night—reminding me of a yodeler at the top of a mountain. But Aretha’s absence was not in vein. Yolanda, Jennifer and Christina blew me away with their beautiful voices that truly gave Aretha’s songs justice. Christina (although falling on stage after the tribute) definitely redeemed herself after her failed performance of the National Anthem during Super Bowl XLV. Twitter comments of the show reflected many personal views during the rest of the award ceremony. “If Bieber doesn’t win best new artist I’m gonna lose it”, was just one of many tweets advocating for Justin Bieber to win the coveted award. Although I do not have Bieber Fever I found myself expecting the same outcome. After Arcade Fire (unknown to me before the show) won Album of the Year and jazz newbie Esperanza Spalding bested the likes of Justin Bieber and Drake for best new artist, I was done. Unsatisfied will the last three and a half hours of my life, I tweeted the world a good night. [caption id="attachment_15189" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Aretha Franklin Tribute - Yolanda Adams, Matina McBride, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch (from Florence and the Machine)."][/caption]
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